“Wind Swept” November 2014

What’s inside 2014 LMAA information night World’s Greatest Lakes Culinary Delights Lightning Strikes Rocks of Lake Manitou Lessons from Geese Member’s Notice Board Director’s Roster

LMAA information night 2014 by Dave Anderson Place: Sandfield School House Date: Tuesday, August 12, 2014 Time: 7:30 – 9:30 pm Agenda Introductions Invading species update by Eric Labelle Lyme Disease presentation by Helke Ferrie Meet your neighbour / refreshment break Blue Jay Creek Fish Culture update by Paul Methner Door prize Draws Approximately 55 hearty people ventured outside on a cool rainy night to attend the meeting at the Sandfield School house. Eric Labelle who was working on the Island for the Ontario Federation of Anglers and Hunters as part of the Invading Species Awareness Program gave an update on the invading species in and around Lake Manitou. The invading species program now has an early detection and distribution mapping system (EDDMaps) that allows quick and easy

1 “Wind Swept” November 2014 reporting of invasive species. Of course you may still report by telephone by calling 1-800-563-7711. Eric stressed the importance of being educated as to the types of invaders, and taking every precaution to prevent their entry into Lake Manitou and onto Manitoulin. Helke Ferrie, who is a medical journalist, gave an eye opening presentation on Lyme Disease in Ontario. Lyme Disease is a disease that is transmitted through the bite of a tick which are relatively common in natural areas. The disease is difficult to diagnose and treat and there is currently no vaccine to prevent its spread. Helke indicated that there is a lot of misleading information about lyme disease and that we need to be very vigilant regarding our own health and treatment options. Helke has published a book on her findings and the LMAA executive has decided to purchase a number of these books and place them in libraries around the Island. Paul Methner gave a review of the Blue Jay Creek Fish Culture Station activities. Lake Manitou is a very important lake for the provincial fish culture operations. It is a source of wild disease free lake trout and walleye eggs. Paul indicated that both lake trout and walleye are doing well in Lake Manitou and natural reproduction in the lake is keeping both populations healthy, as a result they have decreased the number of lake trout being stocked in the lake. It doesn’t take many fishing days in the fall to reach their quota of eggs. In the fall of 2013 in 6 days they handled 770 adult lake trout and spawned 166 females to obtain 424,000 eggs. In the spring (2014) walleye netting they spawned 19 female walleye and obtained approximately 3.4 million eggs. Paul indicated that the largest walleye they handled was about 18 pounds and that they are now starting to see mature brook trout. If you have a topic that you would like to see covered in a future Educational forum please feel free to contact David Anderson at 519-371- 8834 or via e-mail at [email protected]

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“Wind Swept” November 2014

36 Great Lakes Facts That Will Blow Your Mind

1. is actually not a lake at all, but an inland sea. 2. All of the four other Great Lakes, plus three more the size of , would fit inside of Lake Superior. 3. Isle Royale is a massive island surrounded by Lake Superior. Within this island are several smaller lakes. Yes, that’s a lake on a lake. 4. Despite its massive size, Lake Superior is an extremely young formation by Earth’s standards (only 10,000 years old). 5. There is enough water in Lake Superior to submerge all of North and South America in 1 foot of water. 6. Lake Superior contains 3 quadrillion gallons of water (3,000,000,000,000,000). All five of the Great Lakes combined contain 6 quadrillion gallons. 7. Contained within Lake Superior is a whopping 10% of the world’s fresh surface water. 8. It’s estimated there are about 100 million lake trout in Lake Superior. That’s nearly one-fifth of the human population of North America! 9. There are small outlets through which water leaves Lake Superior. It takes two centuries for all the water in the lake to replace itself. 10. Lake Erie is the fourth-largest Great Lake in surface area, and the smallest in depth. It’s the 11th largest lake on the planet. 11. There is alleged to be a 30- to 40-foot-long “monster” in Lake Erie named Bessie. The earliest recorded sighting goes back as early as 1793. 12. Water in Lake Erie replaces itself in only 2.6 years, which is notable considering the water in Lake Superior takes two centuries. 13. The original publication of Dr. Seuss’s The Lorax contained the line, “I hear things are just as bad up in Lake Erie.” Fourteen years later, the Ohio Sea Grant Program wrote to Seuss to make the case that conditions had improved. He removed the line. 14. Not only is lake Erie the smallest Great Lake when it comes to volume, but it’s surrounded by the most industry. Seventeen metropolitan areas, each with populations of more than 50,000, border the Lake Erie basin. 15. During the War of 1812, the U.S. beat the British in a naval battle called the Battle of Lake Erie, forcing them to abandon Detroit. 16. The shoreline of all the Great Lakes combined equals nearly 44% of the circumference of the planet.

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“Wind Swept” November 2014

17. If not for the the Straits of Mackinac, and might be considered one lake. Hydrologically speaking, they have the same mean water level and are considered one lake. 18. The Keystone State was one of the largest and most luxurious wooden steamships running during the Civil War. In 1861, it disappeared. In 2013, it was found 30 miles northeast of Harrisville under 175 feet of water. 19. Goderich Mine is the largest salt mine in the world. Part of it runs underneath Lake Huron, more than 500 meters underground. 20. Below Lake Huron, there are 9,000-year-old animal-herding structures used by prehistoric people from when the water levels were significantly lower. 21. There are massive sinkholes in Lake Huron that have high amounts of sulfur and low amounts of oxygen, almost replicating the conditions of Earth’s ancient oceans 3 million years ago. Unique ecosystems are contained within them. 22. Lake Huron is the second largest among the Great Lakes, and the fifth largest in the world. 23. In size, Lake Michigan ranks third among the Great Lakes, and sixth among all freshwater lakes in the world. 24. Lake Michigan is the only Great Lake that is entirely within the borders of the United States. 25. The largest fresh water sand dunes in the world line the shores of Lake Michigan.Because water enters and exits Lake Michigan through the same path, it takes 77 years longer for the water to replace itself than in Huron, despite their similarity in size and depth. (Lake Michigan: 99 years, Lake Huron: 22 years) 26. Within Lake Michigan there is a “triangle” with a similar reputation to the Bermuda Triangle, where a large amount of “strange disappearances” have occurred. There have also been alleged UFO sightings. 28. Singapore, Mich., is a ghost town on the shores of Lake Michigan that was buried under sand in 1871. Because of severe weather conditions and a lack of resources due to the need to rebuild after the great Chicago fire, the town was lost completely 29. In the mid-19th century, Lake Michigan had a pirate problem. Their booty: timber. In fact, the demise of Singapore is due in large part to the rapidly deforested area surrounding the town. 30. Jim Dreyer swam across Lake Michigan in 1998 (65 miles), and then in 2003, he swam the length of Lake Michigan (422 miles).

4 ∆ Satellite view of the Great Lakes

31. Lake Michigan was the location of the first recorded “Big Great Lakes disaster,” in which a steamer carrying 600 people collided with a schooner delivering timber to Chicago. Four hundred and fifty people died. 32. is the smallest of the Great Lakes in surface area, and second smallest in depth. It’s the 14th largest lake on the planet. 33. The province Ontario was named after the lake, and not vice versa. 34. In 1804, a Canadian warship, His Majesty’s Ship Speedy, sank in Lake Ontario. In 1990, wreck hunter Ed Burtt manage to find it. Only, he isn’t allowed to recover any artifacts until a government-approved site to exhibit them is found. He’s still waiting. 35. Babe Ruth hit his first major league home run at Hanlan’s Point Stadium in Toronto. It landed in Lake Ontario and is believed to still be there.

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Member Notice Board

The 2015 Annual General Meeting is being held at 10 am July 11 at the Sandfield School. The 2015 Information Night is tentatively booked for Tuesday August 11 in the Sandfield School House. Check the spring edition of “Wind Swept” for confirmation of these above dates. Many, many thanks to Mike Costigan Jr. for his hard work and dedication as past editor of “Wind Swept”. Death Notices – The LMAA would like to acknowledge the passing of long time member Gary Polano. Our condolences to Gary’s family. Welcome new members Dave and Kathy Harmeier Silver Bay Rd. Thanks to Nancy and Dave Kains for their donation of honey for the speakers at the August 2014 LMAA Information Night Loons have been rafting on the lake late this summer and this fall. Over 100 were counted in one raft on the west arm in early September A reminder that reports and submissions for “Wind Swept” the newsletter are encouraged and welcome. Please send these to Mark Harvey at [email protected] . Dead line for submission for the May 2015 newsletter is April 15. New for 2015 If you wish to purchase official LMMA shirts, hats and jackets please contact Steve Mann with your requests along with clothing sizes. We hope to have an itemized price list in the next edition of Wind Swept. Steve’s email address is [email protected] Hot off the press. It has been reported that a large cougar was observed chasing a deer the week of August 28, 2014 in the Sandfield, Watson Bay Road area. This report was forwarded to me by our president Mike Costigan. Please report any similar sightings to “Wind Swept”.

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“Wind Swept” November 2014

LMAA President’s Favourite Soup

Mexican Chicken Soup

15 ml (1 tbsp) canola oil 1 small onion, chopped 1 jalapeno pepper, diced (optional) 2 garlic cloves, minced 10 ml (2 tsp.) ground cumin 1.25 l (5 cups) lower-sodium chicken broth 675 g (1 1/2 lbs.) boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 5 cm. (2 inch) strips 500 ml (2 cups) mild refrigerated fresh salsa (mild) Salt and freshly ground black pepper

1. Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add onion and jalapeno; cook, stirring often, until vegetables are tender, about 5 minutes. Stir in garlic and cumin; cook 30 seconds more. 2. Add broth, increase heat to high and bring to a rapid simmer. Add chicken and cook until no longer pink, about 3 minutes. 3. Stir in salsa, bring back to simmer; season with salt and pepper to taste and serve hot. Makes 4 servings. Per serving: 320 calories, 8 g total fat.

Note: Mike also adds black beans, some barley (about 1/3 c.) and lime juice to taste.

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“Wind Swept” November 2014

Lightning Strikes on Lake Manitou by Jen Harvey

July 29, 2014 while preparing supper at the cottage, the sky got dark, there were a few rumbles of thunder. Then there was a huge bang! The cottage shook, the stove jumped, the lights blinked and the cordless phone was knocked off the wall. I screamed and it wasn’t for ice cream. I felt the thunder in my chest.

The next day my father in law spotted the reason for the activity of the previous day. A group of 3 birch trees, ~ 20 feet from the cottage were struck by lightning. The damage was startling. Tuffs of soil and grass along the root system were tossed up to 10 feet away. The bark on the trees was blasted off and strewn across the lawn. The trees had been planted 28 years ago by my mother in law and lovingly cared for over the years. When the trees were first planted she watered them daily with buckets of water. They cast shade on hot summer days and were enjoyed as a solace by many kinds of birds.

This autumn, my husband cut 2 of the birch trees down, but we are hopeful the one remaining tree will survive. The fallen trees will provide us with warmth during cool spring nights. It will take a while to get used to the vacant space left by the 2 fallen trees. The trees will be sorely missed by the birds.

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“Wind Swept” November 2014

Lightning Damaged White Birch

New “Wind Swept” Editor

Let me introduce myself. My name is Mark Harvey and I am your new “Wind Swept” editor. I am very pleased to be given this opportunity to contribute to the LMAA. Following is my first “Wind Swept” story. It is about rocks that surround us on Lake Manitou and how the rocks impact those who live around the lake.

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“Wind Swept” November 2014

The Rocks of Lake Manitou

When looking at the rock around the lake my first question is how it got here. Well there are 2 basic types of rock under Lake Manitou. The first type of rock is buried down deep in what might be called the basement. These rocks are approximately 2 billion years old. We don’t see this rock on Lake Manitou because it is buried. It pops up to the surface in a few places at Sheguiandah and up along Highway # 6 past Birch Island and all along the north shore of the . This is a very hard rock made of quartzite or small pieces of quartz sand that became cemented together and as you might guess it is often white in colour. Quartzite rock formations can be mined for glass making, used in processing copper and nickel and are very scenic. In fact the Group of Seven painted a lot of pictures here in what is now Killarney Provincial Park. We are in some ways lucky this rock is buried well down beneath Lake Manitou. Read a bit further and you will find out why I think our rock is better for the lake.

If you dug down about 1000 feet through the rock below Lake Manitou you would go through many layers of softer much younger rocks until you hit the basement, the much older much harder quartzite rocks. There is a big gap in age between the basement rocks and the softer upper layers. The explanation for this gap in age is there were not many rock building processes for a long time and any rocks that did form during the age gap were eroded away.

It is these upper softer layers of rock that have created our lake’s signature landforms including the bluffs of the cup and saucer to the west of the lake. This softer younger rock is also present as bedrock outcrops, boulders and gravel everywhere on the bottom of the lake, scattered around the shore and up on land. This rock is so numerous that the farmers needed to pick it off their fields and left piles of it along the old fence lines. It is these limestone and shale rocks that give Lake Manitou its foundation and has a huge impact on water quality and productivity of plants and animals in the lake.

So what does this rock do for our lake and surrounding area?

The layering of the rock allows it to chip off in nice flat chunks that are great for building walls and patios. The sea creatures that were present when these rocks formed in shallow warm water 300 - 400 million years ago have turned to fossils. Fossil collecting is fun and a great way to engage folks of all ages, especially children in outdoor activities and education. These upper layers of rock are full of calcium carbonate. Calcium is great for garden soil. Plants and animals do well in calcium rich environments. In fact I suspect the lake owes much of its excellent fishing to the bedrock geology and its effect on water chemistry, structure and wildlife habitat.

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Rocks of all sizes provide homes, habitat and structure used by so, many organisms that make up the food chain in the lake. These range from tiny algae and invertebrates to large fish that are so much fun to catch. Think of all the cracks and crevasses in the rock around the lake that allow water to flow into the lake as underground cold springs. Nice cold fresh clean water. But best of all Lake Manitou is largely immune to the effects of acid rain that killed many of the quartzite dominated lakes just to the north of .

Limestone dominated landscape of Lake Manitou as seen looking east from the top of the Cup and Saucer

When the smelting processes started at Sudbury early in the early 1900’s train loads of logs where dumped on the ground in huge pits and started on fire. Then the mined nickel and copper ore was placed on top of the burning logs and roasted to drive off sulphur laden impurities. The smoke and fumes that came off of this created a poisonous gas full of acid forming materials. This was the start of the great killing of plants and animals all around Sudbury and the creation of dozens of dead acidified lakes in the region. Fortunately any of this cloud of acid fumes or acid rain that reached into Lake Manitou was neutralized by the calcium compounds in and on the bottom of our Lake and it was spared. The result, an ecosystem largely intact and a fishery in Lake Manitou that is the envy of so many. The fishery is so good it helps support a large important fish hatchery at Blue Jay Creek and Sandfield.

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Now we must not forget over the last million years a series of glaciations affected our lake. These had a big impact on the lake scouring out the lake bed, and depositing huge amounts of loose rock and soil into hills and ridges. Many of the islands and shoals in the lake are the remnants of these ridges or drumlins as they are called. Lake Manitou was not so long ago connected to the North Channel and Lake Huron. This was caused by glacial melt waters floods and a landscape that had been depressed by the weight of ice but was just starting to rebound upwards as ice was removed by melting. Maybe that is how we ended up with so many different fish species they just swam in and stayed once Lake Manitou became separated from the Great Lakes. We have much to thank the Rocks of Lake Manitou for because without them there wouldn’t be a lake. I think the rocks of Lake Manitou play an import role in keeping “Our Lake Great” and making it an interesting, healthy, fun and full of life place to live.

. Pat Costigan came up with the idea for LMAA members to write a story for “Wind Swept” that expresses “what it is, about the lake and area that attracted them to the lake”. In my case the geology is one such thing that interests me about the lake. We hope this is the first in what will be series of stories from our members on a variety of topics whether it be the history, the people, the scenery or whatever. If this interests you please send in your stories so that you can share this with other Lake Manitou residents.

Lessons from the Geese

When you see Geese heading South in the fall, you may be interested to know what science has discovered. It has been learned that as each bird flaps its wings, it creates uplift for the bird following. By following the V formation, the flock adds 71 percent more uplift to the flock, similar to people who are part of a team and share a common direction to get where they are traveling on the trust of one another. Whenever a Goose falls out of formation, it suddenly feels the drag and resistance of trying to go it alone and gets quickly back into formation to take advantage of the flock. If we have as much sense as a goose, we will share information with those who are headed in the same direction as we are going. If we have the sense of a goose, we will stand by each other when things get rough. We will stay in formation with those headed where we want to go. The next time you see a Goose formation, remember their message:

INDEED IT IS A REWARD, CHALLENGE AND A PRIVILEGE TO BE A CONTRIBUTING MEMBER OF A TEAM. Author Unknown

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Sun Rise on Lake Manitou

Directors Roster Title Winter Address Summer Address President: 20 Muskoka Court 186 Franks Rd W. Mike Costigan, Kitchener ON N2B 3M2 519-576-1912 RR1 Site15 Comp3 Mindemoya ON Silver Bay Road Area [email protected] P0P 1S0 705-377-6640 Past President: Peter Edward Vice President: Box 41 – 78 Heron Trail Same Paul Moffatt Manitowaning ON P0P 1N0 705-859-3362 Holiday Haven Area [email protected]

Secretary: 459 Sierra Dr 53C L&J Ln One Effie Williamson Traverse City MI 49685 231-943-8333 RR2 Manitowaning ON P0P 1N0 Eagle’s Nest Area [email protected] 705-859-3559 Treasurer: 35 Christman Court 162 Franks Rd W. Don Payne Markham ON L3P 3C7 905-294-4819 RR1 Site15 Comp 6 Silver Bay Road Area [email protected] Mindemoya ON P0P 1S0 705-377-5284 Director: 32 Gloucester Court 327 Wilton Trail Jim Booth Sudbury ON P3E 5N5 705-673-6684 Manitowaning ON P0P 1N0 Eagle’s Nest Area [email protected] 705-561-5919

13 Director: 125 Merrygale Dr. 124 Loon Lane Rob Chown Sudbury ON P3E 6K5 705-670-9365 Manitouwaning ON P0P 1N0 Holiday Haven Area [email protected] 705-929-0272

Director : 4 Nuttal St 91 L&J Lane One Michael R Costigan Cambridge ON N2C 4J3 519-654-7324 RR2 Manitowaning ON P0P 1N0 Eagle’s Nest Area [email protected] 705-859-2705

Director: 3380 Military St 54 Manitou Haven Trail John Coulter Port Huron MI 48060 810-987-7527 RR1 Mindemoya ON P0P 1S0 Rockville Area [email protected] 705-377-4709

Director: 504 South Lebanon 220-D Demmy’s Rd Joel Dwyer Bryan OH 43506 419-636-4487 RR1 Site5 Comp13 Rockville Area [email protected] Mindemoya ON P0P 1S0 705-377- [email protected] 7339 Director: 30 Cobalt St Box 401 148 Heron Trail Bruce Fraser Copper Cliff ON P0M 1N0 705-682-0953 Manitouwaning ON P0P 1N0 Holiday Haven Area [email protected] 705-665-6012

Director & Newsletter 16 Varsity Ave. 156 Johnston Rd Coordinator: Sault Ste. Marie ON P6A 5T8 705-949-1515 RR1 Mindemoya ON P0P 1S0 Mark Harvey [email protected] 705-377-5269 Silver Bay Road Area Director: 38 - 9 Cadeau Court 15 Lyons Lane Box 9 RR3 Alex Lochead London ON N6K 4T5 519-473-0597 Tehkummah ON P0P 2C0 Sandfield –Tehkummah Area [email protected] 705-859-3505

Director: 220A Demmys Road Same Steve Mann Mindemoya ON P0P 1S0 Rockville Area 705-377-7950 [email protected] Director: 153 Old Mill Trail Same Mike Thompson Manitowaning ON P0P 1N0 705-859-2423 Holiday Haven Area [email protected]

Education Committee: See above Phone: Dave Anderson [email protected] ~ Pat Costigan [email protected] 705-377-6640 ,519-576-1912 Mary Lochead (Advisor) [email protected] 705-859-3505, 519-473-0597 John Harvey [email protected] 705-377-5269, 519-537-2996

Map Coordinator: 661 Lansdowne Ave 156 Johnston Rd John Harvey Woodstock ON N4T 1K3 519-537-2996 RR1 Mindemoya ON P0P 1S0 [email protected] 705-377-5269

Lake Stewards: Email: Phone: Rob Coulter – Rockville Area [email protected] 705-377-4709, 248-852-2574, 248-217- David Kains – Gibraltar Area [email protected] 5618 Mike Thompson – Holiday Haven [email protected] 705-377-6041 Area 705-859-2423

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“Wind Swept” November 2014

Mike Costigan speaking at the 2014 LMAA AGM

“Let’s Keep Our Lake Great”

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